Changes
by amber31592
Summary: After the war changes are in store for the trio and family. what will they do now that the war is over. join them as they start out on the rest of their lives as they navigate new relationships. this is a marriage law fic I suck a summary's please R&R


Harry Potter stood just outside of the newly built Ministry of Magic. Taking in everything that had changed since the end of the war. The grotesque statue of muggles being crushed by wizards was no longer, in its place was a plague with the names of everyone who had been lost in both the first, and second war. He watched as happy, smiling people walked all over the halls, chatting with friends or colleagues, he still marveled at how much had changed in the wizarding world since the final battle. Just 2 months ago they were all fighting to survive, mourning those lost, and now people were moving on, business as usual. He wished he could turn it all off like that, just put the war, and everything that goes with it, in the past. Don't get him wrong, he didn't wish people were still suffering, or hiding away. And he was happy to finally be free from Voldemort, but he didn't think he could ever truly forget, and to be honest he didn't think he would ever want to. Harry was broken out of his deep thoughts by his best friend Ron Weasley grabbing his shoulder, and leading him further into the building.

"What are you doing just standing in the middle of the room? I was talking to you, I turn around, and your gone." Said Ron

"I was just thinking" replied Harry

"About what" he asked

Harry looked at his friend for a moment, wondering if he would understand. They had all been through so much together, but did they all feel the same way about it. Would he just be dragging his friends down? He sighed deeply and turned to tell his friend that he wasn't thinking about anything.

"Harry come on, what's wrong? Asked Ron

"I was just thinking about how much has changed." Said Harry

"Well yea, what did you expect, there isn't a war going on any more. Sometimes I forget that you and Hermione weren't around when the first one ended." Said Ron

"Of course I expected people to change, to be happier. I don't know, I guess I just didn't expect for so many people to act like nothing happened" he replied looking to his friend, wondering if what he said made any sense at all.

"It's the relief Harry, least that's what my parents said to us, after the first war. It's the relief that you won't come home to the dark mark, to find a loved one dead or missing, you don't have to hide because of blood status, only this time I think the relief came faster." Said Ron, Harry gave him considering look, one eye brow raised. Deep conversation was not his thing, their other best friend, once compared him to having the emotional capacity of a tea spoon.

"That was deep, shall I tell Hermione you've upgraded to a cup." Said Harry

"oh shut up" said Ron, giving his friends shoulder a shove as they walked through the ministry "I can be just as deep and meaningful as the rest of you lot"

"Ok than, why do you think it happened faster this time around" asked Harry, redirecting their conversation

"Honestly, I think it's because it was the second time around" to his Friends confused look he continued " sure some people expected there to be a second war, but when it actually happened, they realized how short life can be, I just think everyone is trying to make the best of what they have, before it's gone"

"I guess that makes sense" said Harry

"plus nothing has changed that much, people are just calmer, happier" replied Ron, they saw Ron's parents standing with Hermione up ahead, waiting in front of the Ministers office.

"I don't know Ron, it seems to me that everything is going to be different" said Harry

"The more things change, the more they stay the same, ya know" said Ron

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see" said Harry, as they joined the others, waiting to be called into the minister's office.

**Back at the Burrow**

"I can't believe it" said Ron, as he Harry, and Hermione walked into the kitchen.

"It's unheard of, nothing like this has ever happened before" said Hermione, still blinking away her shock.

"What, what happened? What did Kingsley want." Asked Ginny, she had been waiting nervously for hours with the twins, for the three of them to come back from their meeting.

"We can't do it, can we?" asked Harry looking apprehensively to Hermione, for her opinion

"Do what" asked Ginny, growing inpatient.

"I have better things to do than watch them talk to themselves" said Fred

"Like what" asked George doubtfully

"Like hang out with my girlfriend, Angelina. Better that being treated like you don't exist. I bet they haven't even noticed we're her" said Fred

"2 galleons" said George, holding out his hand to his brother for a shake, really no one could miss three other people in a small kitchen.

"We can, if we want to. It's not a terrible thing." Said Hermione, patting Harry's shoulder in reassurance.

"It's an amazing thing, we are going to do it, right" asked Ron, looking from one friend to the other.

"Do what" Ginny, Fred, and George screamed in unison, the other three in the room turned to them at their outburst, as if they had just noticed they were there.

"Kingsley, he..He asked, I don't even know how to say it" said Ron, his excitement eclipsing his face, and agitating Ginny and the Twins further, who looked to Harry for an explanation.

"He asked us to join the Auror Department." Hermione answered, gasp of shock ran through the small group at her revelation.

"You're joking" said Fred

"No joke, Kingsley wants us to be a part of his department" said Ron proudly

"But, you can't. What about your NEWTS." Asked Ginny, a lead weight settling in her stomach

"We would still have to take them, we would just be helping to track down the remaining Death Eaters who got away" replied Harry

"Well, how are you supposed to do that while you're in school, did he talk Prof. McGonagall into giving you special privileges." Asked Ginny. Fred, and George looked equally as confused. The other three shared a look before looking back at Ginny. With a glare at Harry, Hermione answered her.

"We're not going back to school Ginny" she said, exaggerated gasp of shock filled the room at her declaration.

"Did I hear right George, the brightest witch of her age, is dropping out" said Fred, looking to George.

"Be still my heart" cried George smacking a hand to his chest

"Technically we already dropped out last year" said Ron

"That doesn't count, and McGonagall offered to let you come back to finish your final year, how are you going to be auroras without your NEWTS" asked Ginny, feeling more and more hopeless. The three shared another look, a silent conversation passing between them rapidly, apparently coming to a conclusion as their eyes settled on Harry.

"We are going to take our NEWTS in June at the ministry" replied Harry, looking apprehensively at Ginny, asking her to understand

"It was one of the options McGonagall gave us when we met with her" said Hermione

"So you've already decided than, without discussing it with me, none of you thought about how I felt." cried Ginny, looking between the three, who looked down guiltily. Fred put a hand to his sister's shoulder trying to calm her sending a glare at the trio across from them.

"Ginny you have to understand" began Hermione

"I don't have to understand anything, we would have been in the same year. We all would have been together" yelled Ginny

"It's not the same for us Ginny" said Ron

"You think it's easy for the rest of us. You really think you're the only ones who had a hard year that the rest of us just sat on our hands blissfully unaware, as you three fought a war. No, we were all in the war, we all had to fight. Even at school it was a fight to survive" said Ginny heatedly

"No one is saying you didn't Ginny" said Harry, trying to calm her down.

"Why don't we all take a step back and calm down" said George

"Oh shut up George, this is serious" yelled Ginny

"I didn't say it wasn't" said George indignantly

"We know it was hard at school Ginny, we know everyone was fighting. But we can't go back, we." Hermione was cut off

"Don't be condescending Hermione, you don't know what it was like at school last year, how scared everyone was. People disappearing at every turn, kids being pulled out of class to be told their entire family was killed" said Ginny

"I' not being condescending Ginny, and I didn't mean I understood what you went through, just as you can't understand what we went through: replied Hermione evenly, slowly losing her temper, she could feel Harry put a hand on her shoulder trying to keep her calm.

"You are being a little condescending" said Fred, Hermione whipped around to glare at him

"Stay out of it Fred, this doesn't involve you" she said ignoring him completely

"What, you don't think me and George had a hard time walking that tight rope in Diagon Alley wondering if today would be the day Death Eaters would storm the store" asked Fred heatedly

"She didn't say that. Of course we know everyone was fighting as we were" said Harry, trying to end this fight before it got out of hand.

"Well it sure doesn't seem like it, I almost died in that war, or have you forgotten" Fred said Rising from his seat to glare at them all in turn, acting as if Ginny's anger isn't called for, as if none of them went through what the three of them did.

"No Fred I didn't forget, and I happen to have the scar that's the reason your still breathing" Hermione yelled back at him, his breathe caught in his throat and he sunk back in his chair heavily, realizing he was being an ass. He could feel George's hand on his shoulder, as if to reassure them that he was still here.

"Well, that's him told" said George, trying for a laugh but coming out strained. But Fred agreed that certainly was him told.

"Yes, Hermione saved Fred. And we are all grateful for that every day. But that's not my point" said Ginny

"Ginny please can we drop this. I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner but we just can't go back to school, and I need you to understand that" said Harry

"well I don't understand, you don't think I'll have a hard being back at school, where I watched friends die, where we all had to fear every day that the Carrows would just start killing us off, while you lot were off gallivanting the country on your little adventure" Ginny's tirade was cut off by the loud bang Hermione's chair made hitting the floor

"Our little adventure" she said dangerously, her eyes flashing

"I didn't" began Ginny, taking a step back at the pure anger in the older girls face

"You didn't what Ginny, here we are talking about not understanding, poor Ginny was sent off into the forbidden forest, how scary that must have been, do you even know how many times we wished to be back at school instead of in that bloody tent in the woods, not knowing where our next meal would come from, or if we would even be alive to have it, we know fear Ginny. We have been living with a never ending fear of who we would lose next and if it would be one of us for many years now. And now you want us to feel sorry for you, because you had one bad year, all we have had is bad years Ginny, all we have ever known is war, every year we fought that war, since we were eleven, and now all of you want to cry woe is me, because you had to fight for one, because it wasn't fun and games and adventure like you thought it would be, the truth is you could never understand, none of you, what we've seen, what we've been through, the pain we felt every step of the way, you don't know what it feels like to see a friend be put through unimaginable pain and not being able to do anything about it, none of it was a fun adventure, it never was, we never got to be kids because we were too busy fighting this war. Honestly, Ginny we can't go back to school because it holds so much more than just the final battle, because it's too late to just be kids now, we've seen too much, felt too much, and now all we want to do is move forward, and your angry because of it." yelled Hermione out of breathe, she turned her back on the three shocked faces staring at her, trying to comprehend what she meant. She could feel Harry, and Ron come around her, each putting a calming hand on her shoulder.

"That was stupid, I know, I know I can never understand all you've been through and I'm sorry, I'm trying, really I am. I just thought that we could all be together for this final year" said Ginny, tears streaming down her cheeks

"We can't move backwards Ginny, we just can't" replied Hermione, sighing deeply, keeping her back turned to the rest of the group.

"It's okay Ginny, I don't think any of us will ever understand what the other went through, because we weren't there. But we are all here now, so let's just be there for each other, no more fighting" said Harry

"Sounds like a plan" said George, Ginny nodded her head and put her arms around Harry. She didn't know what this year would bring but she could let this part go. If her friends and boyfriend couldn't bring themselves to return to school then she would just have to come to terms with that even if it meant she wouldn't be able to see them very much for one more year. They were still enjoying a quiet moment when chaos broke out again.

"I can't believe this. Arthur tell me they can't do this" said Molly

"I'm sorry dear, I know it's a shock but there is nothing we can do" said Arthur

"Do what?" asked Ginny, but there mother ignored her continuing her rampage around the kitchen in shock.

"Here we go again" said George, sighing deeply and putting his head down to wait for their mother to notice they were there

"HEY MOM, CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT" yelled Fred so loudly everyone jumped and the glasses rattle, but it did the job of making their presence known.

"There is no need to yell Fred" chastised Molly

"What's going on mom" asked Ginny again, their mother looked at them apprehensively and shared a look with their father.

"The Ministry has passed a marriage law as of this morning" said Arthur, and just like earlier gasp of shock ran through the kitchen.


End file.
